Show your solidarity with women in the Congo every time you carry our electrifying African print tote.

Life is difficult in Eastern Congo -- especially for the disabled. Our fair-trade partner, Shona Congo, employs disabled women and offers them hope for a new life. Most of Shono's seamstresses were victims of childhood polio and lost the use of one or both of their legs, growing up without the ability to walk or stand upright. As teenagers, many underwent surgery and years of physical therapy at the Handicapped Center in nearby Goma to regain the ability to stand. Even so, almost all are forced to wear heavy metal leg braces in order to stand and walk only with the aid of crutches or canes. Though they face nearly overwhelming physical and financial obstacles, each has decided to stake her claim to a better life by working with Shona. As one seamstress puts it: "Each item we sew is our claim to a better world. A world where we are seen not only for the challenges we face but for the beauty we create."

Flower or Red

100% canvas

15.5" H x 16.25" W (39.4 x 41.3 cm)

Handmade in and fairly traded from the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Created to help women worldwide gain economic security for themselves and their families by earning fair wages for their handiwork, Global Girlfriend sources women-made, fair-trade imported, eco-friendly products. By supporting long-term partnerships with the artisans, it fosters equal employment opportunities, healthy and safe working conditions, technical assistance, and development strategies to help reduce poverty, one community at a time. Become a "Global Girlfriend" and help build a brighter future for girlfriends around the globe!